Malaysia is seeing a surge in cancer cases

Here are some important statistics:

In 2020, there were 48,639 new cancer cases reported in Malaysia.
By 2040, the incidence of cancer in Malaysia is predicted to double.
Approximately 1 in every 10 individuals in Malaysia will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.
Lifetime risk* of developing cancer in Malaysia is 1 in every 10 males and 1 in every 9 females.

*Lifetime risk refers to the likelihood of an individual developing cancer before they reach the age of 75 years in the absence of other causes of death.

Top Five Most Common Cancers in Malaysia

Cancer can start anywhere in the body, but but the breast, colorectum, lung, nasopharynx, and liver are the most common sites for cancer to start.

The TOP five most common cancers in Malaysia are:

Five Most Common Cancers in Malaysia by Gender

MEN

Lung cancer (17%)
Colorectal cancer (15.4%)
Prostate cancer (9.3%)
Nasopharynx cancer (7.4%)
Liver cancer (6.7%)

WOMEN

Breast cancer (32.9%)
Colorectal cancer (11.9%)
Ovarian cancer (7.2%)
Cervical cancer (6.8%)
Corpus uteri cancer (5.5%)

Fast Facts on the 5 Most Common Cancers in Malaysia

Half of all cancers reported in Malaysia are breast, colorectal, lung, nasopharyngeal, and liver cancers. However, these cancers are still diagnosed late.

Breast Cancer	The most prevalent form of cancer among females Higher incidence among individuals above the age of 50 Nearly half (47.9%) of the cases are diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4)
Colorectal (Colon) cancer	Male A higher incidence is observed among individuals aged 55 to 64 72.4% of the cases are diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4) Female A higher incidence has been recently observed among individuals aged 35 to 64 73.1% of the cases are diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4)
Lung, trachea, bronchial cancer	Male A higher incidence is observed among individuals aged 60 to 74 93.5% of the cases diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4) Female 92.3% of the cases are diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4)
Nasopharyngeal cancer	Male Males have a lifetime risk of 1 in 175 69.3% of the cases are diagnosed at the late stages (Stage 3 & 4) in males Female Females have a lifetime risk of 1 in 482
Liver cancer	Male Males have a lifetime risk of 1 in 164 85.5% diagnosed at late stage (Stage 3 & 4) in males Female Females have a lifetime risk of 1 in 452

Cancer is Not the End

Cancer is frequently linked to negative connotations such as agony, incurability, suffering and death. A cancer diagnosis frequently comes with a greater fear of dying compared to many other illnesses. In reality, ischaemic heart disease ranks first among the causes of mortality in Malaysia, whereas cancer is ranked fifth.

A person who has been diagnosed with cancer may question how serious the disease is and whether they can survive it. A prognosis refers to an estimate of how a disease will affect you.

Your cancer prognosis can be determined by numerous factors, such as:

Type of cancer and location in your body
Cancer stage (size of the tumour and if it has migrated/spread to other areas of your body)
Cancer grade (level of the cells’ abnormality)
Certain characteristics of the cancer cells
Your age
Your health status
Your response to cancer treatment

The stage at which the cancer is diagnosed is one of the key factors affecting cancer survival.

Survival based on cancer type and diagnosis stage

Cancer	Early stage (Stage 1)	Late stage (Stage 4)
Female breast cancer	87.5%	23.3%
Colorectal (colon) cancer	75.8%	17.3%
Lung, trachea and bronchial cancer	37.1%	6.3%
Nasopharyngeal cancer	63.7%	26.9%
Liver cancer	20.4%	9.2%

The probability of surviving the most common cancers increases by 2 to 5 times with an early cancer diagnosis. An early diagnosis , followed by prompt treatment allows for optimal management of cancer.

In the past few years, there have been numerous advancements in the field of cancer treatment. For most patients, there are steps that can be taken to help arrest or possibly cure the disease. Treatment efficacy has improved, but efforts have also been made to make treatments more effective, accessible, simple to use, with fewer adverse effects. Many of these developments have improved the prognosis for cancer patients, making cancer a curable disease, not a terminal one.

Make an appointment at Pantai Hospitals

If you experience any signs and symptoms of cancer or would like to be screened for cancer, get in touch with us to find out more about our Oncology Services at your nearest Pantai Hospital.

A dedicated multidisciplinary team of specialists and oncologists at Pantai Hospitals is available for consultation to provide the best care and assistance to patients through screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

Pantai Hospitals have been accredited by the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) for its commitment to patient safety and service quality.